spoke."

"That is excitement!" said the Snowy Owl. "You must come in and be
bandaged this minute, Peggy! Come right along to the Nest; I have
bandages and lint all ready."

The Snowy Owl was all on fire with ardour and sympathy. Peggy looked at
her in surprise, but the Fluffy Owl laughed. "You have struck the
Snowy's hobby," she said. "She is going to study medicine, you know. Go
along; she will be happy all the rest of the day, bandaging and
cosseting you."

"But it doesn't hurt!" said Peggy, still wondering.

"Never mind!" said the Snowy Owl. "It ought to hurt, Peggy Montfort,
and it will hurt in a little while. Come along and be bandaged!" and,
meekly wondering, Peggy went.

CHAPTER XIII.

PEGGY VICTRIX!

"Well, it certainly was a great success!" said the Scapegoat. It was the
day after the reception, and she had drifted into the Owls' Nest toward
twilight, and now stood by the mantelpiece, swaying backward and forward
in the light, wind-blown way she had.

"A great success!" she repeated, thoughtfully. "Why, it was actually
pleasant! How did you manage it?"

"We didn't manage it," said honest Bertha. "It just came so. Everybody
was ready to have a good time, and had it; that was all."

"More than that!" said Grace, absent-mindedly. "There has to be a knack,
or something, and you have it. I haven't. I couldn't do it, even if I
wanted to, and I don't think I do."

"Do what?" said the Snowy.

"Be an Owl!" said Grace. Suddenly she left her hold of the shelf, and
turned upon them almost fiercely.

"Why should I?" she exclaimed. "Tell me that, will you? It is all
natural to you. Your blood flows quietly, and you like quiet, orderly
ways, and never want to throw things about, or smash a window. I tell
you I have to, sometimes. Look here!"

She caught up a vase from the shelf, and seemed on the point of flinging
it through the closed window, but Gertrude laid her hand on her arm
firmly. "You may have a right to throw your own things, my dear," she
said, good-naturedly. "You have no possible right to throw mine, and
'with all respect, I do object!'"

Grace gave a short laugh, and set the vase down again; but she still
looked frowningly at the two girls, and presently she went on.

"It's all very well for you, I tell you. You have a home, and a--my
mother died when I was five years old. My father--"

"Grace, dear," said Gertrude; "come and sit down here by me, and tell
me about your mother. I h